Nick Chubb is officially back.
The Cleveland Browns activated the Pro Bowl running back off injured reserve Saturday, clearing the way for his return Sunday against the Houston Texans.
Chubb has been out since Week 4 with a knee injury but practiced all week with the team. He has 335 rushing yards and four touchdowns on the season.
Through the first four weeks of the season, when Chubb was healthy, the Browns led the NFL with almost 205 rushing yards per game — 25 yards more than any other offense. They also topped the league with 5.9 yards per rushing attempt.
Kareem Hunt, considered one of the top backup running backs in the league, stepped into the starting lineup while Chubb was out. But facing tougher defenses without Chubb, the Browns ranked just 24th with 96 rushing yards per outing over their past four games, while averaging only 3.9 yards per carry — 26th in the league.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield said this week that having Chubb and Hunt together is what helps make the Cleveland rushing attack special.
“It’s a huge part of our offense to be able to sub those guys in with fresh legs, and it wears on defenses,” Mayfield said. “Later in the games when they are able to still be somewhat fresh, it is amazing how the grind and the ground game pounds on those guys.”
